Alliance & Leicester launches treasury risk solutions offering

Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank has established a new team in order to provide business customers with a range of treasury risk solutions. Going forward the bank will provide FX, Interest Rate and Currency derivatives to business and corporate customers.

The Treasury Risk Solutions business is headed up by Mike Bligh, who joined the bank nine months ago to establish the specialist team. Mike has over 20 years experience of providing treasury services for businesses and joined Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank from Barclays Capital, where he held a number of roles as a Director within UK Treasury Risk Management.

Commenting on his new role, Mike Bligh, Head of Treasury Risk Solutions said: “I was delighted to accept the invitation to join the Alliance & Leicester Treasury team with a clear mandate to develop its Treasury Risk Solutions offering. The bank is a major UK brand and there is a tremendous opportunity for us to offer FX and Interest Rate solutions to our business customers that both support and enhance the Group’s existing lending and relationship banking services.’’

Part of Mike’s new role was to recruit specialist staff for the new team and the bank has recently made two new appointments.

Grant Murray, Senior Manager, Treasury Risk Solutions

Grant Murray joins Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank from Yorkshire Bank where he was a director and Head of the Leeds Treasury team. Grant has over 10 years financial markets experience having also worked for National Australia Bank in Sydney, ABN Amro and JPMorgan.

Grant will be based at the bank’s Leeds Business Centre and will be responsible for proactively highlighting how treasury solutions can help corporate customers, in the North and Scotland, to manage their FX and interest rate exposure.

Faye Ackerley, Sales Assistant, Treasury Risk Solutions

Faye moves internally from Group Risk to join the Treasury team and will be based in the bank’s main dealing room. She will be responsible for supporting the Treasury Risk Solutions team and managing incoming opportunities.

Commenting on the new appointments, Mike Bligh said: “I am delighted that Grant and Faye have chosen to join the business as both will bring key strengths to the team. Grant brings a wealth of treasury experience to Alliance & Leicester, and as a known adviser to businesses in the North of England, has already created a lot of interest in the bank’s proposition. Faye’s knowledge and understanding of Alliance & Leicester’s treasury processes and Credit & Risk policies will be vital to the team’s success.”